What Washington STEM does

Washington STEM (legal entity: The Washington STEM Center) is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011 that operates statewide in Washington across the cradle-to-career education continuum. The organization focuses on three interlocking areas: early care and education (children 0-5 and families), preschool through 12th grade STEM education, and pathways to credentials and careers for youth and adults. Its core products are open-source data dashboards and toolkits — including STEM by the Numbers, the State of the Children Dashboard, CORI (Credential Opportunities by Region and Industry), a Labor Market and Credential Data Dashboard, and a Child Care Business Feasibility Estimator — built on a data justice methodology that aggregates childcare access, student outcome, and labor market data to inform policy and practice. Programmatic offerings include the High School to Postsecondary (H2P) Collaborative, the Horizons Regional Grant Program, and the Washington Jobs Initiative (a $17 million multi-sector workforce effort), delivered through a network of regional STEM networks, Educational Service Districts, and backbone organizations.

The organization generates revenue through foundation grants (Gates Foundation and Ballmer Group as anchors), federal pass-through funding (Good Jobs Challenge), corporate sponsorships, and individual donations including stock and donor-advised fund contributions. It does not sell products or charge for its programs, toolkits, or advocacy services. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: place-based and statewide initiatives leverage partnerships, data publication, and direct legislative advocacy during Washington's annual sessions to drive systems change in practice, policy, resource distribution, and power. Customers in the conventional sense are schools, districts, students, families, and workforce participants receiving free services; institutional funders are the de facto revenue customers. Leadership includes Founder/CEO Caroline King and a small director-level team covering policy, development, career pathways, P-12 STEM, and workforce development technical assistance.

Name

Washington STEM

Legal name

The Washington STEM Center

Website

https://washingtonstem.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Washington STEM is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds open-source data dashboards and toolkits to advance STEM education and career pathways for Washington children, students, and adults from cradle to career.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education Advocacy and Workforce Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep) (EDAMABAC)

Keywords

• STEM education nonprofit
• Education data dashboards
• Career pathways programs
• Early childhood education
• Workforce development policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Washington STEM accepts donations of all sizes through credit card or check, including recurring monthly gifts and one-time contributions. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with EIN #27-2133169.
2. Foundation Grants: Funded by philanthropy including Gates Foundation grants. The Horizons Regional Grant Program is fully funded by the Gates Foundation. Washington Jobs Initiative received federal Good Jobs Challenge funding.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Event sponsorship opportunities provide companies visibility and alignment with Washington STEM as a trusted leader in STEM education. Includes corporate partner program with cumulative giving recognition.
4. Stock and Asset Donations: Accepts donations of stock, bonds, mutual funds, and contributions via donor-advised funds

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Washington STEM is a statewide education nonprofit that develops open-source data dashboards, toolkits, and resource guides connecting early childhood education, K-12 STEM learning, and credential/career pathways. The organization provides technical assistance to regional partners, conducts policy advocacy at the state legislature, and convenes cross-sector partnerships across K-12, higher education, employers, and community organizations to drive systems change in Washington state.

Product overview

Washington STEM operates as a statewide education nonprofit offering a portfolio of data dashboards, toolkits, and resource guides focused on STEM education and career pathways. The core products include the State of the Children Dashboard, STEM by the Numbers Dashboard, CORI, Labor Market and Credential Data Dashboard, and Child Care Business Feasibility Estimator - all designed to democratize access to data on student indicators, childcare availability, and labor market projections. These are complemented by programmatic resources including the High School to Postsecondary Toolkit, H2P Collaborative Resource Guide, Washington State Jobs Initiative Equity Toolkit, and the Career Pathways Framework. Washington STEM's approach is grounded in data justice principles, relying on insights collected with and for communities impacted by their work to drive systems-level change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• State of the Children Dashboard Interactive dashboard presenting 2024 data on child care and children under age six in Washington state, including demographics, language, cost of care, and wage disparities from all regions across the state. Designed for policymakers, advocates, and ECE providers.
• STEM by the Numbers Dashboard Open-source, actionable data dashboard connecting the dots between childcare access and early learning, student indicators, and labor market projections for Washington state. Available publicly to communities and partners.
• CORI (Credential Opportunities by Region and Industry) Data tool informing 2-year and 4-year colleges, apprenticeship providers, employers, and K-12 schools about what career pathways are available across Washington state.
• Labor Market and Credential Data Dashboard Dashboard providing labor market projections and credential data showing that over 70% of entry-level jobs with family-sustaining wages will require a 2+ year credential in Washington in the next 5 years.
• Child Care Business Feasibility Estimator Calculator tool helping entrepreneurs assess the feasibility of starting a child care business by estimating costs and potential revenue.
• Data Justice Resource Hub Resources and knowledge papers on Maximum Representation policies and practices to fully represent multiracial/multiethnic students in data sets, addressing undercounted Native students and underfunded Native education.
• High School to Postsecondary Toolkit Toolkit designed to help practitioners explore disparities in dual credit participation, including practical examples, templates, instructions for data access, and findings from a 2020-21 study at Eisenhower High School.
• High School to Postsecondary (H2P) Collaborative Resource Guide Comprehensive resource capturing key lessons, tools, and best practices from the H2P Collaborative (2022-2025), including resources for financial aid, dual credit, student advising, and adult mindset and bias.
• Washington State Jobs Initiative: 2026 Equity Toolkit Comprehensive guide designed to help workforce development organizations recruit, train, and retain underrepresented workforce participants including multilingual job seekers, people of color, women, and others historically excluded from economic opportunity.
• Washington State Jobs Initiative: 2025 Participant Persistence Insights Resource organizing insights from training-provider and participant-site visits into six key areas to inform considerations around participant experience and persistence in workforce development programs.
• Horizons Regional Grant Program Regional initiative investing in place-based partnerships that support students in their transition from high school to postsecondary education, including apprenticeships and two- and four-year degree programs. Built around four regional partnerships anchored by backbone organizations bringing together K-12 school districts, higher education institutions, community-based organizations, and workforce partners.
• High School to Postsecondary (H2P) Collaborative Collaborative bringing together regional network partners, school administrators, educators, and students to reimagine postsecondary preparation systems. Grew from 5 schools across 4 regions to 40 schools across 7 regions by 2025, serving nearly 30,000 students.
• Career Pathways Framework Tool developed to help schools and districts identify and fill gaps in their career-connected learning programs, prioritizing three pillars: pathways exist, students engage, and schools have capacity and resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46% enrollment increase in College in the High School program after eliminating fees through SB 5048 (2023)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeads the Washington Jobs Initiative with nearly $17 million invested in 8 job-training partnerships. WSAC oversees career-connected learning programs including Career Launch enrollment for K-12 schools, career and technical colleges, and four-year public universities.
• Washington Employment Security Department (ESD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract grant manager for backbone organizations in Washington Jobs Initiative. Washington STEM partnered with ESD to incorporate program site visits into the equity audit process, creating direct visibility between ESD and sector partners.
• Degrees of ChangesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Washington STEM to help schools access and visualize demographic, course-taking, financial aid, and postsecondary enrollment data through facilitated conversations.
• Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerK-12 data holder for the state; partnered with Education Research & Data Center (ERDC) to allow districts access to postsecondary enrollment data through OSPI data platform. Collaborated on High School to Postsecondary Toolkit.
• League of Education Voters (LEV)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading SB 6089 for P20W coordination; provides legislative session previews and educational resources. Collaborates on budget analysis and policy advocacy efforts.
• Career Connect Washington (CCW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative focused on career-connected learning programs across K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, universities, apprenticeship programs, and labor unions. Washington STEM stepped back from formal leadership but continues data and measurement support.
• SEIU HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare sector backbone organization for Washington Jobs Initiative. Partnership includes site visits with training providers like Clover Park Technical College for nursing assistant training programs.
• Educational Service Districts (ESD 105, ESD 113, ESD 112)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partners coordinating H2P Collaborative activities. ESD 105 (South Central) has Career Readiness Coordinator; ESD 113 created H2P Toolkit resources; ESD 112 created career and salary lesson plans.
• Education Research & Data Center (ERDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency housing postsecondary data; partnered with OSPI to bridge data gaps by allowing districts to access postsecondary enrollment data through OSPI platform. Created P20W data system and student pathways visualization.
• Clover Park Technical CollegesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner site for SEIU Nursing Assistant Training program. Site visits conducted to observe training programs and gather participant feedback for workforce development improvements.
• Washington School Information Processing Cooperative (WSIPC)supportingTechnology or IntegrationPublic nonprofit cooperative providing K-12 data services; developing statewide digital transcript data-sharing environment (SB 6052). Awarded Gates Foundation grant to expand Foyost platform statewide.
• Eight Twenty-Eight ConsultingsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting partner that joined Washington STEM on site visits for Washington Jobs Initiative, assessing program quality and participant experiences across sector partnerships.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• STEMconnector: National STEM strategy and workforce data organization connecting corporations, educators, and policymakers; overlapping with Washington STEM's labor market and credential data work at the workforce-policy intersection.

Direct peers

• Ohio STEM Learning Network: Statewide STEM advocacy and network organization housed at Battelle that coordinates regional STEM hubs, K-12 partnerships, and data tools — closely analogous to Washington STEM's regional network and dashboard approach.
• TIES (Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM): National STEM education nonprofit building school networks, professional development, and STEM ecosystems across multiple states — comparable as a multi-region STEM network operator with systems-change focus.
• STEM Learning Ecosystems (STEM Funders Network): National coalition of over 100 regional STEM ecosystems focused on cradle-to-career pathways; many participating ecosystems mirror Washington STEM's regional network structure and data-driven advocacy model.
• Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN): Statewide STEM education nonprofit network operating place-based partnerships, regional hubs, and STEM school designations in Tennessee — directly comparable in structure, mission, and state-level focus to Washington STEM.
• California STEM: California-based STEM education nonprofit convening a statewide network of regional STEM hubs and advocating for policy change; operates a similar cross-sector partnership and place-based model.
• Career Connect Washington (CCW): Statewide initiative coordinating K-12, higher education, apprenticeship, and employer partners around career-connected learning — the program that Washington STEM stepped back from formally leading but continues to support with data and measurement.

Broad incumbents

• Code.org: National STEM/CS education nonprofit operating open-source curricula, dashboards, and large-scale advocacy; broader geographic and topical scope but highly comparable as a data-driven policy advocacy STEM nonprofit.
• Battelle: Large applied science and technology nonprofit that houses and incubates state STEM networks (including Ohio STEM Learning Network); comparable as a STEM-focused nonprofit operator with a broader portfolio and national footprint.

Regional players

• Mass STEM Hub: Massachusetts-based STEM education network operating regional STEM hubs and K-12 industry partnerships under a state STEM strategy; functionally parallel to Washington STEM but in a different state.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/washingtonstem
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washington-stem
• Xx.com/washingtonstem

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Washington STEM